sundance-communications.com/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information FAX Tones ?

Customer has 3 lines 1 & 2 are in hunt group and 3rd line fro FAX. Ever since they relocated to a new office they are getting FAX tones.
About twice a day they get a call on hunt lines that when they answer its sounds like a fax tone. Then they get second call that is the caller saying they also heard fax tone. The customers FAX is not producing this and I tried installing the FAX on a SLT port so they could transfer the call but nothing printsout. They get the tone on line 2 if line 1 is busy, there are no modems plugged in, Any ideas on where this tone is coming from and how would I stop it?

Sounds to me like one of the hunt lines is crossed with the fax line. An incoming call on either of the crossed lines would cause the phones AND the fax to ring. I don't mean to sound overly-simplistic, but line crosses cause this kind of stuff for us pretty frequently.

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Ed
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How come there's always enough time to go back and fix it a second time?

Had the same trouble checked all wiring and found LEC had same number feeding second company in different area.

also check alarm panel the dail in modem may be answering

Thanks I checked inside and everything looks ok the 3rd (FAX) line and FAX machine are both off when this happens. You can also make a call out on the FAX line when it happens. So I don't think its a cross inside. I thought it maybe crossed with somebody elses FAX but it happens on line 1&2 plus I tried letting the lines ring and nothing else answers. I'm getting confused for a simple problem. Its happening in the office of a very active Chamber member and he just wants it fixed.

Do they have a security system? Could be worth looking into.

You may also want to check to see if the KSU has a modem card in it. If so, try pulling it out and see if the problem goes away. There may be some programming embedded causing one of the lines to ring ext. 498 or 499 (the internal modem card's extensions).

I still like the idea of checking to see if a security system is sharing one of the lines and it's not configured properly.

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Ed
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How come there's always enough time to go back and fix it a second time?

I've also had computer modems that were not supposed to pick up on an incoming call pick up the line.

If this problem happens on a regular basis disconnect everything at the demarc and use a couple of butt sets. If you still have the problem you know who to call.

-Hal

---- Check the alarm ---- what line is it on? You've about got it all covered , otherwise.

I also do security systems, just like the previous techs have told you, there is a built in modem that is capable of answering the line to allow an installation company to make changes in the programming. There is a feature called "double call" that allows us installers to call the number that the alarm is on, ring it twice, hang up. Within a few seconds (normally defaulted at 30 or 60 seconds) call back, and the panel will answer with a "handshake" (fax tones). This is normallly not an issue when the alarm is on a fax line, however, if it is on a voice line, it can falsely answer with two incoming callers within seconds on that line. The alarm company needs to back the double call timer down to 10 or 15 seconds to fix this. We used to avoid voice lines and pick on fax lines just because of this. Most telco companies are putting DSL on the fax line now so to avoid filtering the security CA jack we have had to revert to putting the alarm on a higher voice line.

Did you ID the lines, 1 & 2?
if there crossed in the field you should hear 2 numbers read back.
Disconnect lines 1 & 2 at the NID, with your butt set call each line from the other.
If it still happens you know it's not on the premises.
If it is on the premises, is he system a hybrid?
will it support SLTs?
Maybe someone plugged in a personal fax or modem off a XDP or data port